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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in the Great Lakes Region

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Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,484 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $32,327 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 931 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,270 and $28,850 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in public policy.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 20 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 363 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Policy at UChicago

2
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Adler University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Adler is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Adler Public Policy Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 206 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Public Policy Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan Technological University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Michigan Technological University

5
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Albion College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Albion is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albion, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Albion College Public Policy Report

6
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio

With a ranking of #6, Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Xavier Public Policy Report

7
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 47 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Public Policy Report

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at DePaul

9

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 45 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Illinois at Chicago

10
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Olivet Nazarene University

11
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Michigan State Public Policy Report

12

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Public Policy Report

13
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 5 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Loyola Chicago

14

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 32 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State Public Policy Report

15

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 5 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at IUPUI

16

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at Indiana University - Bloomington

17
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Knox Public Policy Report

17

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn Public Policy Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Public Policy Report

17
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NLU Public Policy Report

Notes and References

References

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